Electric power device



NOV. 25, 1930. J, s, KNOwLsON 1,782,927

ELECTRIC POWER DEVICE Filed Oct. `5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l N0V 25, 1930- J. s. KNowLsoN 1,782,927

ELECTRICY POWER DEVICE Filed Oct. 5, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 25, 1930 glfJNrrno s'rATas PATENT oFlFlcE JAMES S. KNOWLSON, OF HINSDALE, ILLINOIS., ASSIGNOR TO SPEEDWAY M..NUFACTURL ING ,COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION vOF ILLINOIS ELECTRIC rowna Dnvrcn Application lcd October 5, 1328.` Serial No. 310,664.

My invention relates, as to one phase thereof, to devices of the type comprising an electric motor and a flexible shaft driven thereby and by means of which a device or devices to be operated are actuated; and as to anvention, my object is to provide a construction of flexibileshaftdriven electric-power device which shall be of novel, simple and inexpensive construction, of light weight and which shall be particularly adapted for the actuation of devices preferably of varying kinds as for example, and more particularly, power-operated devices used in households, such as eggwand cream beaters, other mixing devices, carving tools, screw-drivers and the y like and laundry appliances, s uch as washing Y machines.'

In this connection it may be stated that power devices of the general character above referred to as commonly provided are heavy,

cumbersome and expensive as they comprise low speed motors, this condition greatly militating against the general adoption of suchdevices particularly for use in the household,

both from the standpoint of weight and cost.

As to the other phase of my invention, my

object is to provide improvements in electricmotor-driven devices and particularly those having portions, such as sheathed flexible shafts or tools, which the users are required l to handle in the use of the devices, to the end ythat the parts of the devices contacted by the user will be insulated'from the current supplied to the device and thus possibility of shocking the user will be avoided which is of special advantagewhere the devices are used under such conditions that the parts contacted by the user become moist or wet as, for example, in the use 'thereof i'n kitchens or in connection with washing machines.

invention, the device" shownl comprising a' sheathed flexible driven shaft, a portion only of which is illustrated; YFigure 2 is a similar view of the end of the sheathed fiexible shaft at which'it connects with the spindle of a device to be operated thereby;

` Figure 8 is a sectiontaken at the line 8 on F ig. 1 andviewed in the direction of the arrow; and i VFigure 1l, a section taken at the line l on 1 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

The particular illustrated embodiment of my Vinvention comprises a base 8 at which 'the device may rest on any suitable support,

or at which it maybe hung from a support, as for example, at an eye9 thereon.

The device also comprises an electric motor which may be, and preferably is, of the series type, the field core of which represented at 10 and lia-ving the usual windings 11, is rigidly held on the base by a split clamping band 12 having legs 18AY at which this band is secured to the base 8 as by screws one only of which is illustrated at 14, the band being clamped in place about the field core by means of a screw 15 engaging the legs 18. l

The field core 10v is insulated from the band 12 as by interposing between these Aparts a band 16 of any suitable currentthe core'lO as'shown ofthe stirrup 19, one

of the legsof which is represented at 20. Thel stirrups 18 and 19 contain openings 21 and 22,resp'ectively, in alinement with the shaft 23 ofthe armature', and in which tubular shaft bearings 24 and 25, surrounding this shaft, are screwed, the outer endsof the y bearings v2li-,and 25 having caps 26 and 27,

"respectively, with packing 28 interposed between these caps and the ends of the armature shaft. i

FTh'e Vdevice also comprises a flexible shaft housedin a flexible sheath 41 and driven from the motor. The shaft 40 is operated at low speed compared with the speed of rotation of the motor by back-gearing the shaft 40 to the motor.'Y By way of example of suchrrelativefspeeds o f rotation,` the flexible shaft 40 may"l be, and preferably is, operated at about from 2,000 to 3,000 Vrevolutions per minute at no-load speed with the ner. Y Y The. brush-holders of thefmotor are repre-A sented at 29 and are mounted'on a disc 30 of insulating material flatwise attached to the` gearing referredto` so constructed as to provide a speedY reduction between the armature and the flexible shaft 40 of aboutv 61/2; or 7 to 1, the motor operating at approximately 12,000 to 20,000 revolutions per minute.

The gearing referred to comprises a pin-y .ion 42 rigid on the armature shaft 23 and dinal displacement by a shoulder 49 on this shaft and the head 47, opposing opposite ends of the bearing sleeve 45 andthe adjacent end of the boss 46.

The boss 46 is formed with an externally threaded tubular extension-50 on which La sleeve 51,` having an inwardly extending flange 52 atits outer end, is screwed, the flange. 52 engaging a shoulder 53 von a tubular fitting 54 surrounding the flexibleV shaft 40 and rigidly clamping this fitting in place against the outer end of the boss-extension` 50.,v Thel fitting 54 is: recessedat 55 and receives one end of the sheathing 41 which is rigidly secured thereto in any desirable manstirrupI 1,9by` screws 31.-

, The device also comprises'casing sections v-32 and .33," the'section 32'being of general cylindrical'-shape with an end wall 34 andV 'fitting at its openend, flangedl at 35, against a face of the band 10-to-.which it' is secured,

. as for example byscrews. The other sect tion 33 of'general cylindrical shape andhavf ing an end Vwall 3.6 fits at-its'open end,

flanged at37 against the otherffac'efof the bandy 10to which it ifssecured, as fori exam- I ple by screws.` Y, Y. f .c v

` ,The casingofthe device which alsohous'es v`gear'mechanism'driven'by the armature 17 -f and hereinafter referred to, also comprises a generally circular housing .'.sectioni l38 l v'formed as: a partfofr the band 10 and having an open bottom and side, the latter being closed by a plate 39 which extends at its lower end into the casing section 33 as shown. From the foregoing description, it will be understood that the parts described are so arranged that all of the partsto which the current for operating the motor passes are insulated from the casing of the device, and which comprises, in the particular construction shown, the sections V32A and 3 3, the band 10 with its gearehousing portion and the plate 3,9.

At the outer end of the sheathed iiexible shaft 40. is a chuck-head comprising a tubular body member 56 forming a. hand-grip and having journalled therein a shaft V57 con nected with the shaft 40 by interlocking portions 58 and 59 on the shafts 57 and 40, respectively, Y e

. The outer end of the sheath 41 extends into the outer end of a sleeve 60 held to the body member 56 by a sleeve V61 secured upon the iemberV 56 and interlocked with the sleeve 60 by the means shown at 62 permitting relative rotation of the sleeves 60 and 61:, The outer end of the shaft 57 is provided with a tube'63 rigid therewith and on the outer end of which a sleeve 64, extending into a recess 65 Vin the outer end ofthe member 56, is slidably mounted. The tube 63l con= tains an opening 66 for a ball 67 which extends into an annular groove 68'on the inner surface of theV sleeve 64 this groove being annularly enlarged at 69. The groove 68 isof such dimensions, as shown, that when" the portion thereof of smaller size is` in engagement with the ball 67 the ball is forced inwardly into the'tubef63- and against the vshaft of the "deviceto'be actuated and ining the connection` between the flexibleshaft and the shaft :of the device. t

V`The vsleeve 64 isv retained on the tube-63 against outward displacement by a retain-A`v ing ring 10 on this tube and 1s yieldmglypressed 'into chucking position by a ycoil- Y spring 71 located in the recess 65 and surrounding the tube 63, and confined between the sleeve 64 and the end wall of the recess 65.,

A power device thus'provided may ber used ina great many situations'and for actuating large variety of appliances either 'of the high speed` 'or low speed type, as for examplel cake mixers and high'speed beaters. .It will be Vunderstood from the foregoing that by providing a high speed motoras the prime mover of the device and back-.gearing it to the flexible shaft L40 provided-for con-V i netion, selectively, with any of various de-d vices to be driven, a motor of relatively small horse power and of light weight may be used, as such a motor furnishes the necessary torque for overcoming the loads imposed thereon in the use of the power device with the large varie j of devices to be operated, such especially as are used in the household.

A power device for such wide use may thus be supplied to a householder at relatively low cost and by reason of its relatively light weight may be moved with relatively slight effort from one location to another as may be desirable or necessary for its use in the driving of remotely located devices.

While have illustrated and described a particular construction embodying my invention and have shown itfor use in connection with only two devices to be operated, I do not. wish to be understood as intending to limit it to the particular construction shown nor to its use in connection with the particular devices illustra-ted.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. An electric power device comprising a stator and rot-or and forming a unit, a casing of current-conducting material for said stator and rot-er7 means insulating said casing' from said stator and rotor, adriven shaft jonrnalled on said casing, and gearing connectingsaid rotor with said shaft, one of the gears thereof comprising current-insulating material.

2. An electric power device comprising, in combination with an electric motor forming a iii '.t and having a drive shaft, a casing of current-conducting material for said motor, means insulating said casing from said moto-r, a oriven shaft, and ,gearing` journalled in said casing and connecting said shafts together, the one of said gears which is journalled in said casing being insulated from the gear which drives it.

3. An electric power device comprising` a stator and a rotor forming a. unit, a casing` of current-conducting material for said stator and rotor means insulating said casing from sain stator and rotor, a driven shaft journalled en said casing', and intermeshing gears on said rotor and driven shaft, one of said `gears comprising' insulating material.

TAMES S. KNOWLSON. 

